authority: gcos
slug: above-ground-biomass
name: Above-ground Biomass
domain: land
subdomain: biosphere
authority_id: gcos:above-ground-biomass
external_ids:
  nvs_uri: null
  cf_standard_name: vegetation_carbon_content
  iadopt_concepts:
    property: dry-mass
    entity: above-ground-vegetation
canonical_units: Mg ha-1
gcos_requirement_tier:
  threshold: null
  breakthrough: null
  goal: null
description: |
  Dry mass of living plant material above the soil surface, retrieved from
  spaceborne lidar (GEDI, ICESat-2), L-/P-band SAR (BIOMASS, SAOCOM, NISAR)
  and forest-inventory upscaling. Central to forest-carbon accounting.
theme: vegetation
demos: []
status: documented
sources:
  - https://gcos.wmo.int/site/global-climate-observing-system-gcos/essential-climate-variables/above-ground-biomass